Schools insistence on uniform rules are behind the times

Yes 🤣

My eyesight isn’t the best and every other girl in dds year seems to have mousy blonde, shoulder length hair. The amount of times I’ve been waving to random child and dd will have already come out the door and be like, “um, mum, I’m here!”

I'm a secondary teacher and agree that uniform can be a great leveller and I do think it's important for pupils to have some form of uniform. However, since Covid we have struggled and struggled to get pupils back in to uniform, it's an uphill battle with little support from many parents unfortunately

Ha, I think my husband would agree with you! His mum is a wonderful woman, but I reckon she's been 75 yrs old for the last 40 years. And she liked to make her boy's clothes... There are some crackers in the family photo albums 😄

I am a fan of uniform. One less thing to think about. For parents and children.
Anyone else struggle to pick out their child though. Not saying my son is ordinary looking but waiting for him outside school and squinting at all the average sized white boys with short brown hair to pick him about of hundreds of others wasn’t easy!

I think uniforms are good but old fashioned items like ties, blazers etc are OTT. DH rarely wears a tie to the office these days meanwhile DS has to wear one to school! DD17 wears her school skirt very short which technically is against the rules but nobody ever says anything and I couldn’t give a toss frankly.

There is an alternative school near me with no uniform and it is obvious most of the kids put a lot of effort into their clothes. Lots of artfully arranged accessories, hats etc and everyone in expensive trainers or Doc Martens. I’m happy my kids just throw their uniforms on in the morning rather than creating outfits to impress.

Yanbu.
They should be allowed trainers as they are better for walking in. School polo shirts and hoodies would be nice. My DD started giving up on secondary once they went back to full (uncomfortable) uniform post pandemic. She used to love the cosy PE kit days.

The primary my dd is at has no second hand uniform sales. Which really surprised me when we first moved here as it’s a really deprived area.

We lived in a very affluent area before this and the second hand uniform sales were heaving, everyone bought secondhand.

One of the teachers explained to me it was a pride
thing here. No one will have second hand. Same reason everyone is dripping in designer trainers - I honestly don’t know how they afford it.

They put out all the lost property and uniform items that people have given the school at the end of the year in the playground for people to help themselves too, all washed and sorted into sizes. it’s a big school so there is lots. No one takes any, it’s like there are lions guarding it, no one will be seen to go near it. It’s madness (and yes, I kit my children out for the next year from it, why wouldn’t you?)

Yes I dismiss them all. SEND/temporary injury aside, I have yet to read, hear or see anything that isn't basically wasaahhhhh I want to wear what I want and how dare you stop me.

Personally I like uniforms and so much of the world has them. If nothing else makes it easy in the morning. but then I run a company and we all wear a uniform out of choice.

they should be practical

I suspect your state school experience was in primary? Secondary school requirements for state school is a whole different ball game - the sports requirements down to school-branded socks, leotards, outdoor wear had to be branded too. I think I ended up paying nearly £300 to get them set up for state secondary - not peanuts to most people especially when they grow out of the branded polyester tat.
Our school insisted on suits for sixth form, the kids spent most of the time at home during lockdown - they went back to sit their A levels - the school insisted parents bought new suits if they had grown out of the old ones - or they couldn't sit their exams. What a waste for the environment and for the parent's pockets - those suits will not be worn again.

Our eldest DD picked a sixth form specifically because it had a uniform.

DS's (primary) uniform is polos, sweatshirt (with or without logo) and trousers. I think it's great...washes up really well, no thinking in the morning, practical and only costs the same as your average, normal stuff.

I can see both sides of the argument for secondary. I'm fine with the above applying to secondary too although I think there should be freedom of trouser styles to suit different shapes etc. so kids feel comfortable.

There are lots of generic statements about non-uniforms in other countries not being an issue for bullying on this thread. But then plenty of people who have lived experience of this absolutely not being the case...so on balance I would go with supporting the latter. I wonder if it's a case of the first year of scrapping uniform causing an issue with brands etc..but then it would calm down long term.

I actually am anti most jewellery for health and safety and theft reasons..teachers have enough to do without having to check jewellery is off for PE/hear about so and so's lost or stolen bracelet etc. People will say health and safety has gone mad, but necklace injuries are a real thing...happens in healthcare settings.

What I do feel really strongly about is an ultra smart dress code and specifically a blazer...I am very anti these, hideously expensive, unnecessary and uncomfortable.

The school my son went to had no 2nd hand uniform shop

HT said it was to make sure children didn’t feel worse about themselves that they weren’t in new clothing.

DDs private school had a thriving 2nd hand uniform shop which was thrown open to new parents and it cost 1/6th the amount to kit out dd for her uniform as opposed to ds’s secondary modern

2nd hand shop was run by a couple of parents in the lunch time at school and if dd needed a larger size school jacket she could buy one at the shop for £20. If she then took her old jacket in the next time she needed anything she would get £10 off her next purchase

No one looked down on anyone for doing this because every child did this.It was just a normal thing to do

Of course it’s is going to cost more if your child is trying to dress to impress but from what happens in other countries without the uniform standard, most people wear jeans, t/shirts and hoodies.

Sorry, I prefer school uniforms. One less thing to think about and they have a lifetime to express themselves. Also helps kids who can’t afford the latest trendy “gear”.

This and my kids like it. They like feeling part of the school community and wearing the same as their friends.

Our kids primary uniform is relatively stricter - ties etc and the kids genuinely like it. Eldest is quite proud of doing his own tie & likes to look smart.

The school went to the 6th form expects the students to wear smart clothes and shirts need to be tucked in. Even in warm weather.

No wonder a few of my friends’ DC decided to go to FE colleges instead

I'm living with the long term effects of not having had access to regular dental care as a child. We went as and when. Once damage is done it's hard to undo. I also have a really bad dental phobia but, despite that, I go regularly as an adult.

Yes,, schools that rely on uniform tend to be very weak in character.

It’s this outdated “office ready” mantra

When you ask what happens if your child wants to become a plumber/plasterer/dancer the HT I asked couldn’t answer. (He actually said he hadn’t thought of alternative careers)

Why are they being forced into another “uniform” in 6th form they won’t ever wear and like the school uniform, will end up in land fill after they are done with school

I agree that it's a sign of a very weak character if you need to rely on clothing, hair and make-up to express yourself.

£600 initially spent

£60 for a rugby shirt that was worn twice.

Then there would be more each year as ds grew and they changed the uniform style which everyone had to buy and start wearing 1 term later

It cost a fortune

Compare that to 3 pairs of jeans or trousers, a few t.shirts or shirts and a couple of hoodies and a coat

Even the school scarf was £20.

Then with uniform you have people taking your kids clothing because they know they can’t afford the next size up and you can’t immediately tell which jumper is yours.

I could kit ds out with clothes he felt comfortable wearing for the entire time he was at senior school for the amount of the initial outlay on uniform at 11 years old.

Children grow and replacing virtually everything after every growth spurt runs into thousands.

My eldest actually went to a state primary school which didn’t have a uniform.

It was actually a massive pain in the arse.

Uniform is far easier.

I think a uniform is generally a good thing, but that it should be much more practical than it currently is and there should be more freedom to "accessorise".

I don't mean just letting the kids go wild in what they choose. But when I was at school, it was banned to wear a single necklace or bracelet, wear a hair tie that wasn't school colours, dye your hair a different natural colour, paint your fingernails or wear any makeup at all.

Loads of schools near me insisted on full suits and ties in sixth form. They always said it was to prepare for work, but what sixth former is going to be wearing a suit to work any time in the next 5 years? Smart shirt and trousers is fine, but these schools insisted on jacket, tie and polished shoes.

'No bullying'?

This is a total myth.

The psychology of uniforms is 'I wore one, I've internalised the belief they're a good thing and so I want my kids to wear one because it makes me comfortable.'

My god, I if I had been at a secondary school with no uniform, I would have been ripped to shreds. I used to skive on any non uniform days as I knew I’d be taken the piss out of, and that was the early 90s, not today with designer obsessions. Uniforms are great for poor kids, you all have to look the same.

I don’t think some schools are strict enough. A child shouldn’t be allowed to go to school with brightly died hair or studs and earrings everywhere.

They shouldn’t be allowed to wear tiny skirts, shits tired into tank tops, have a face full of make up or my personal bug bear, have little handbags instead of proper school bags. I Iook at some of the girls in dds school in year 6 ffs, and wonder what the hell their parents are thinking, some of those 10/11 year old girls turn up for school like they are arriving at a nightclub. There’s always parents mouthing off in the play grunt at teachers over boys awful haircuts too (admittedly, I live in a shithole).

Your reply is very unkind @Treesinmygarden - it isn't the child's fault if the parents don't seek dental care.

Access to dentistry has never been universal in practice - the biggest factor is having an NHS dentist near enough to go to. Many people now, although technically eligible for NHS dental care, are unable to see a dentist because there aren't any.